An ammonia production plant typically includes a complex arrangement of equipment designed to convert natural gas into ammonia. Often times, the natural gas is used as both a raw material to produce ammonia and as a fuel for the equipment in the production plant. Ideally, the ammonia production plant is operated such that the production of ammonia is maximized while the consumption of natural gas and energy is minimized. However, conventional control systems are typically unable to meet these control and optimization objectives given the numerous constraints often associated with these objectives.